Commenting on the latest tranche of technical notices to advise businesses in the event of a no-deal Brexit, Mike Spicer, Director of Research and Economics at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

“While some businesses will be reassured by some of the details in these notices, such as around IP protection and geographical indications, the admission that loss of market access is a possibility for others will be deeply unsettling to those affected. There will be major concerns in industries like aviation and road haulage that operate routinely across borders at European scale, that their markets will be fragmented by new licensing or regulatory frameworks.

“If the EU and the UK fail to reach a withdrawal agreement, businesses will urgently need comprehensive answers to the many outstanding questions on business continuity. The government must take every possible step to minimise the disruption and bureaucracy that could face firms in the future.”